Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Shania Twain Waxing Economical

Shania's album "Up," released Nov. 2002, gives a prescient analysis of the present consumer credit crisis. Who convinced this pop/country artist to take up social commentary? It makes me wonder if she could have been a member of that old band Peter, Paul, and Shania.

Shania starts by naming the cultural roots of the sub-prime fiasco:

We live in a greedy little worldThat teaches every little boy and girlTo earn as much as they can possiblyThen turn around and spend it foolishlyWe've created us a credit card messWe spend the money we don't possessOur religion is to go and blow it allSo it's shoppin' every Sunday at the mall

All we ever want is moreA lot more than we had beforeSo take me to the nearest store

And then Shania gets surprisingly specific:

When you're broke go and get a loanTake out another mortgage on your homeConsolidate so you can affordTo go and spend some more when you get bored

But by then end of the song, you know it's Shania again because she starts sounding like she's too interested in dancing to be bothered with profound lyrics: